January 25/03 7:12 am - Gears "Spin for Cancer" to include Concert, Tour Down Under

Posted by Editoress on 01/25/03

Gears Spin 2003 with Benefit ConcertCourtesy Gears Racing

Each year the Gears 24 Hour Spin gets bigger, and better. We raise more and more money for the Trillium Health Centre and Casey House AIDS Hospice!

This year we've once again taken the next step: to include a Benefit Concert, in the Hershey Centre during the spin!!! with an illusionist with 5 Large cats, The Kulas, The Pursuit of Happiness, 54-40, and much, much more!!

Between the hours of 6pm and midnight on Saturday Feb. 22, 2003, our goal is to fill the seats of the Hershey Centre, by selling tickets for the concert at $20 each (early bird special available at Ticketmaster, www.ticketmaster.com , 416-870-8000), and $25 after Feb 16, and at the door. all non-spinners will pay $25.00 to enter the Hershey Centre during those hours. During non-concert hours there will be a nominal fee for all non-spinners, regardless of age or duration in the building.

Please forward this information to everyone you know or at the very least anyone who would like to spend an amazing evening of entertainment, on a cold February night, in an environment that has so much positive energy (it's difficult to describe unless you've been there) it actually makes Cancer and AIDS more vulnerable!! Even if folks don't go, they can help by contacting Ticketmaster and buying a couple tickets. Another idea is that you contact Ticketmaster and buy 10 tickets yourself to sell in your office, to your friends or at school. Let's work together to make this event amazing.

Beverly Thomson from Global TV ((5:30pm news anchor) was diagnosed with breast cancer last April) will be our media spokesperson to kick off the event!

Listen to 680 News, and hear commercials about the event and concert. 680 News and Rogers Cable 10 have generously partnered with our event, to help get the word out!

The 2003 Jacob's Creek Tour Down Under is set to sizzle tomorrow when the final 90 kilometre stage on the Adelaide City Council circuit kicks off with only 16 seconds separating the top eleven riders in the field.

Spaniard Mikel Astarlozav (AG2R - Prevoyance) will wear the leader's jersey after officials resorted to a count-back of previous stage places to split he and Denmark's Lennie Kristensen (CSC) who are tied at 15hr25min36sec after 645km of racing over five days.

Today's 147km stage saw the riders endure searing temperatures as they battled for race honours along the spectacular Fleurieu Peninsula setting off from Wilunga and taking in McLaren Vale and the coastline along St Vincent's Gulf three times before heading up Old Willunga Hill and back into Wilunga for the finish.

"90,000 people turned out to cheer on the field in recognition of their amazing endurance and fitness as they put on a spectacular day's racing," said Belinda Dewhirst, General Manager, Australian Major Events. "People set themselves up with picnics, cold drinks, shade shelters and sunscreen well before the start of the day's racing and they were passionate in their support of every single competitor in the Tour."

The pair rode away to a lead of more than 4mins with Tafi obviously out to win back the lead in the SA Lotteries Sprint classification from overnight leader Robbie McEwen, 30, (AUS - Lotto Domo).

He need not have bothered however as his sprint rival McEwen was suffering pain in his left knee and after 40 kilometres of racing decided to abandon the race rather than risk possible further damage. In 1995 and again in 1999 McEwen underwent left knee surgery for a cartilege problem and he was concerned it might be the same problem recurring. Scans later revealed it was a pinched lining of his joint and that it should mend itself in a coupld of days.

Back out on the road Tafi was the winner across the line at Aldinga on the first intermediate sprint before a huge crowd enjoying the sea breeze.

The next time through it was again Tafi who claimed the points and time bonus but the main field was beginning to get twitchy and the chase was on.

The lead whittled down as the climb up Old Willunga Hill approached. Tafi had already been caught by the bunch as Portal made a last ditch effort to stay in front but to no avail. By the bottom of the climb he was swallowed up and soon after Australian Cadel Evans (Telekom) surged away up the climb cresting the summit on his own to take maximum points and the lead in the Laubman and Pank King of the Mountain classification in which he is the defending champion.

"It was amazing to see the people who trekked up the climb on foot to witness the decisive attack," said Ms Dewhirst. "Also the design of today's race route meant they had time to then get back to Wilunga and witness the finish as well."

But a chase group was soon on his tail including several rivals for overall honours. But noticeably absent was overnight race leader Fabio Sacchi (ITA - Saeco).

The group of ten gave Sacchi no chance of catching them as they wheeled towards the finish line.

As the line came into view Caruso dug deep and rode off the front trying to gain every second he could in his bid to move into the overall lead but whilst he held them off to claim the stage victory all ten were awarded the same finishing time of 3hr26min43sec.

"On the first road stage I lost four seconds and unfortunately that might be the one that's going to decide that I won't win the race," said Caruso who's win pushed up to third overall. "I really didn't think I could make it and I was really on the limit right on the finish.

"Manolo (ONCE Team Director Manolo Saiz) told me to attack at five kilometres to go and the win is thanks to him and thanks to his call on the tactics."

Second across the line was Wesemann with Lanfranchi third.

Overall the race lead is now held by Astarlozav who has the same accumulated time after 645km as Kristensen but on countback technically leads the race. Caruso is third overall at 4sec and O'Grady fourth at 5sec.

"That's fantastic I've been working towards it and now that it's just happened I suppose it hasn't sunk in," said Astarlozav. "I didn't really expect to go this well but the thing is the team's going great and so that spurred me on."

In terms of his prospects of still being in the lead after tomorrow's final stage Astarlozav was restrained.

"I suppose the truth is that I'm the favourite because I'm the leader but it's going to be very difficult and we'll have to see what we can do," he said.

But three more riders, Florencio (7 seconds), Lanfranchi (7 seconds) and Jonker (9 seconds) are within striking distance setting up one of the most exciting final stages ever. Bonus seconds are on offer for the two intermediate sprints tomorrow and for the stage win.

O'Grady has been in this position before in 2001 when he went in trailing narrowly and ended up winning overall by a mere three seconds.

Meantime overnight leader Sacchi finished 31 seconds behind Caruso on the stage and has now dropped to 11th, 16 seconds off the pace and likely out of contention.

"ONCE really attacked the climb and I decided I was going to get shelled so I just tried to get a rhythm," said a disappointed Sacchi. "I just tried to defend myself the best I could."